Smile
by applechan53
Summary: Germany x Reader. Reader-chan lost her parents a few years ago, leaving her with a little brother and almost no money. When motivated student-teacher (get it? Ahahaha! Here's my hint: Fruits Basket manga) Ludwig Beilschmidt hears of their problem, what will he do? Kind of turned into a slight Faster Than a Kiss crossover, but not really... Rated T for sad content.
1. Chapter 1

You're just one of 3,000 students at (school name) High School in (Town), (State/Province/Country/Other). You're in honors classes, but 1/10 of your grade is in honors classes. You're bad at sports, but almost half of everyone at (school name) High are bad at sports. The only thing special about you is your art. You love to draw, have since you were three, and can get a fairly accurate representation of pretty much any object under, over, or around the sun.

So why are you sitting in gym class, trying to run a mile in under 13 minutes? Well, as you said before, you aren't very good at sports. And, as your gym teacher has been out sick with some kind of "terminal illness" (you'd be willing to bet any money he's actually just taking a break from his job. It's a sad day when the gym teacher is more lazy than the students), the student teacher, who's actually only a few years older than your age of 18, has taken over.

"Run faster, _!" Mr. Beilschimdt, known to his favorites as Mr. Ludwig, screams. You try your hardest, but your thin legs can't take you any farther, as you haven't eaten much of anything in a week. "You're the only one still running!" he chides. You blush heavily as the students sitting around the track laugh at your slowness.

By the time you finally finish and get cooled down, all you want to do is curl up in a ball and cry, but you know it'll have to wait another period until you can finally get out of this prison known to the general public as "school" and get home. It's not _your _fault you don't have enough food to stay strong like other kids! At least your next class is art, and the teacher, Mr. Vargas, is just about the awesomest guy ever (even though thinking about it, he's about Mr. Beilschimdt's age).

As soon as you enter the art room, you instantly feel at home. Why couldn't they teach you how to paint giant murals in gym? You could practice wall climbing, and you'd be able to actually excel at something minorly athletic. But as soon as you sit down in your customary seat in the back left-hand corner of the classroom, a familiar face shows itself and ruins any tiny shred of happiness you had left.

"Hello class, I am Mr. Beilschimdt, and I will be your substitute teacher today while Mr. Vargas is on leave from… pasta sickness…" he facepalms, and you realize the two must have been formerly acquainted. "So… I honestly have no idea what you do in an art class, so just pick up your pencils and draw… something, I guess."

You smile. A free day in art? Maybe this will turn out a bit better than you thought. Tapping your pencil against your chin like you normally do when brainstorming, you try to think of something interesting you draw. Suddenly, you remember the flower peeking up in between the rocks on your school's track. You passed by it twice, so you have a pretty good idea of what it looked like, and it was so beautiful…

As if possessed by some kind of art demon, you pick up your favorite soft lead pencil and start sketching the basic design, adding in more and more stones around the lonely flower. It was small and white, with five little circular petals spread towards the sun, and a little smudge of light pink in the center, coming up in tiny lines through the center of each delicate, soft petal. Finally, you finish the sketch, and, since you still have 40 minutes left of class, you decide to add to it. You reach for your four favorite outlining markers, choosing a brush tip for the petals, a calligraphy-style C-tip for the rocks, and a basic .05 tip for the stem. After you erase any remaining pencil lines, you take a oil pastel in rose, and, after mixing it with a bit of white, smudge it onto the little flower. Finally, you take a black pencil and shade the rocks and petals, making it look as if the sun was shining just a little to the right of it.

Satisfied, you turn to look at the clock, to notice you still have ten minutes left of class. _Well, I could add some writing to it, _you think, and start to write. Just as you finish, a loud blare fills the air as the fire alarm goes off. The entire class, being well-trained in fire safety, slowly walks outside… to see _actual flames _engulfing the school.

Your complexion pales as you think about your sketchbook still in the classroom. That thing is more important to you than almost anything- it has the portraits of your late parents in it! Your body begins to move on its own, and you rush into the burning building, not listening to Mr. Beilschimdt's screams. By some miracle, you manage to reach the door before him, and slip inside. The smoke instantly starts to burn your throat, so you put your shirt over your mouth.

After picking up your notebook, you start to run back outside, but by this time fire has engulfed the hallway the way you came. You turn down the other way. "Help! Help!" you hear, coming from far away. You push yourself faster, heading towards the noise, to see a young girl, maybe four years old, next to her unconscious mother. "Please help me!" she yells holding her moms arm with a look of pure fear and desperation in her fire-lit eyes. Immediately, you slide the sketchbook into the backpack the woman's wearing, and lift her onto your back. Thank goodness she's light.

Grabbing the little one's hand, you realize that you can no longer put your shirt over your mouth, as you have to balance the woman with your other. Even though the smoke is burning your throat faster than the fire your flesh, you keep going, determined if nothing else to keep the mother and child safe. As a safety measure, you make sure the mother's mouth is covered with her shirt, and hold it in place like that with her body weight.

Finally, you see a speck of daylight, which grows steadily bigger and bigger until it turns into a door, which turns into a way out. If the situation were different, you would have smiled, but you're much too exhausted for that.

But just before you reach the door, a burning log comes down, crashing on your legs. You want to collapse right there, or at least look at the wound, but the girl comes first. Limping heavily, you pull the three of you out the door, into the bright sunshine.

You slowly slide the mother off your back, bend down, and pull out the sketchbook. Then, you turn to face the little girl, who has tears in her eyes. "Don't worry, dear," you say softly, rubbing her little head. "Your mommy will be okay. Here," You hold out the sketchbook. "Go look for this flower over on the track. You can give it to her when she gets better. She'll be so pleased."

Her eyes water as she holds the picture. Quickly, she jumps up and gives you a big hug. It takes all your strength not to let it knock you over, but you hold strong and hug her back. "Thank you missus," she whispers gratefully.

"I'm _," you reply, "Now run along and go find it; I bet your mom'll be waking up soon!" You smile happily as she runs off, but the second she's out of sight, you let out a smoke-filled cough and fall over.

Germany's POV

I've never seen anything like it. The girl who can't run a decent mile in gym class, saving people from a burning building? And at the risk of her own life, too.

She puts on a good act, smiling and hugging the little girl, then handing her something. She even manages to stay conscious long enough to make sure the girl won't see her collapse. But the second she's out of sight, she falls over, and I can see the full extent of her wounds.

"_!" I scream, running over to her. All the other students were already evacuated, but I stayed behind to make sure she wouldn't be alone if she somehow got out. The woman she helped, I can already tell, is fine. But she… I can't be sure. She must have covered the woman's mouth and not worried about her own. It shouldn't be that bad.

Then I notice her leg.

There's a foot-long gash on the outside of her right leg, surrounded by a second-degree burn on all sides. How she walked even a step on this, I will never know.

The rest of what I find is only minor ailments, thank goodness. Just as I finish, she slowly opens her eyes. "Mr. Beilschimdt?" she asks, looking confused. "W-where is everybody else?"

"They were all evacuated. But I can't move you; I'm going to call an ambulance."

"No!" she exclaims, grabbing my arm. "Please, no, you can't!"

"Why not?" I ask, not understanding. Who _wouldn't _want to go to a hospital in such a state.

"I-I… My family… we don't have any money… I live with my little brother, he's only five, and a neighbor watches him while I'm at school, but… my parents are dead. We can't pay for a trip to the hospital." Tears fill her eyes, and I realize just how much strength it must have taken her to run into that building if she had a little brother at home who needed her.

"When did you last eat?" I ask, putting down the phone.

She lowers her eyes and mumbles, "A few days ago I had something, I think. I give my brother most of the food. He's a growing boy, and needs it more."

"You can't just not eat!" I exclaim, "Ugh, you're coming to my house. I'll get you fixed up."

Her eyes widen. "Really, that's not necessary! What about my brother? What about the woman? What about that little girl?"

"I'll get them. But you're worst off. I'm putting you in my car now," I say. Then, seeing her look of protest, add, "Unless you want to sit out here while I call an ambulance?" She relents quickly after that, and I carry her to my car. After getting the woman and finding the child, who just found and picked some flower she saw in a sketch she was holding, I drop them off at the hospital, except _, who refuses to step foot outside the car.

After picking up her brother, they sit in the back, and she rubs his hair, whispering reassuring things to him as he cries about her injuries. Eventually, he falls asleep, and she sits looking out the window, seeming like she's about to cry.

You POV

You can't believe Mr. Beilschimdt is helping us. You didn't think he would, if he heard about your situation. Most people would call the government and have you taken away. Maybe even separated.

But could that be a better option? You can't keep providing for (brother's name), not without quitting school and working full-time. You hate feeling how light he is. You hate seeing how little he gets to eat. But he loves you so much… could he bear the separation?

"Should I be doing something else?" you whisper, mostly to yourself, but hoping Mr. Beilschimdt hears you. "Should I be sacrificing more?"

"It's hard to sacrifice more that you already have been," he replies.

"B-but should I be trying to find him a new home? Somewhere he can actually live?" you ask.

"Maybe… if you want him to grow up without his sister," he says.

Your eyelids start to feel heavy, but you're determined to finish the conversation. "What if… what if he starves to death? He deserves better than me."

"You just saved two people from certain death, and comforted a child in the process. What could be better than that?" he asks.

"Someone with the means to take care of their siblings," you reply. Why are you so tired? Maybe the strain and smoke are finally getting to you.

As you drift off, you hear him mumble something, but you're too far gone to make out the words…

Germany's POV

"You could stay with me," I suggest. There's no answer, and I get concerned. Then, looking back, I notice that _ is fast asleep, most likely worn out from the long day.

Soon, we reach my house and, after putting the two of them in the guest bedroom and tending to her injuries, I notice her sketchbook still sitting in the passenger seat of my car. Pulling it out, I notice it's open to a page with an extremely realistic-looking flower. I recognize it. It's the flower the girl pulled up on the track. _ must have seen it while she was running. Under it, there's some writing; beautiful, elegant cursive. It says:

_Why can't I be more like this flower? It's strong, even though it's small, and beautiful. It needs only the Sun to live, and some rain. I wish I could survive on just that, so (brother's name) might live longer. He deserves to grow up like other kids, laughing, running around, going to the ice cream store… but he can't, and it's all my fault for being so depressed for so long after they died…_

I stare at the page in shock. I can't believe this girl, who I always thought was just lazy like Feliciano, was actually dealing with so much. She never complained, always putting on a happy front so no one would find out about her. It's truly admirable; I've never met someone so selfless.

Before I know what I'm doing, I'm in their room, putting the sketchbook down on the nightstand. "I promise; I'll make everything better from now on," I say, moving some hair away from her sleeping face. I mean it; there's no way I'd ever let her go back to living like that.

She's 18, right? That means she's not a minor, and I don't have to adopt or anything. And it would be legal to marry her, if she was okay with it… what am I saying?! She's just going to be here for support, nothing more.

But still, the thought of it makes me want to smile… why?

Your POV

You wake up the next morning feeling quite a bit better, although you have a bit of trouble breathing and your leg stings really bad. There's a smell wafting in the open door from the kitchen, and, even though you can't place it, it makes you feel happy in a way you never thought you'd feel again.

"Good morning," you mumble, rubbing your eyes as you limp into the kitchen. (brother's name)'s face lights up and he yells, "_! Look! Mr. Ludwig maked us pam-cakes! They yummy!"

You chuckle at his adorable face; smothered in syrup with a giant grin lighting it up. "I forgot you never had pancakes before…" you mumble, and suddenly feel a bit like crying when you remember why.

"I made some for you, too," Mr. Beilschmidt says from over by the stove.

"Oh, um, thank you, Mr. Beilschmidt," you say shyly, unused to being taken care of.

"Just Ludwig's fine," he replies.

"T-thank you, Ludwig," you amend, taking a plate stacked high with pancakes.

"Anytime," he responds.

Your face lights up from the first bite; it's been so long since you've had anything this good! By the time you're finished, you're too full to eat another bite, but still want more. "That was amazing!" you exclaim. Then your face darkens. "Um… I guess we should be going now, huh? I feel better, and you've already been so kind to us… come on, (brother's name). Say goodbye."

"No!" he exclaims, trying to pull you back down as you stand up. "I don' wanna go! Mr. Ludwig's nice an' gives me pam-cakes! We have to stay!"

You bend down, tears swimming in your eyes. "I know sweetie, I know. But Mr. Ludwig needs to go back to his routine now. Don't worry, in a week or two high school will be over and I can get a job. We'll have a better life, don't worry." You try to make it sound like you believe it, but your eyes probably give you away.

"Um," Ludwig interrupts, standing awkwardly by the table. "Y-you can stay here, you know. I really don't mind and since you'll be graduating next week anyway it doesn't really matter, right?"

Your eyes widen as you stare at him blushing lightly and looking everywhere but your eyes. After a second, you ask, "R-really? You mean it?" He nods. You look from (brother's name), to Ludwig, back to (brother's name). They both look eager and excited; almost identical expressions. "Well then I guess we're staying," you mumble softly, staring at the floor to hide your small smile. (brother's name) cheers and gives your legs a big hug, almost knocking you over. Ludwig smiles; it's the first time you've ever seen him happy like that. He looks a lot better smiling, and you, for some reason, want to smile back.

"Just one thing," he says abruptly. You look at him questioningly. "My brother comes home on the weekends. You'll have to be able to deal with him." You raise your eyebrows. How bad could his brother be?

* * *

**FAMOUS LAST WORDS! :D**

**Hi! I'ts applechan53! I was working on Past Recount, (and got everything done but the editing for the next chapter, mind you) and this came out of the depths of my brain.**

**I'll be continuing this, but there'll only be a couple more chapters. After this, though, I have an AWESOME idea for a Russia x Reader, so...**

**Oh, and did I mention this is my first "x reader" story, so go me for being able to do this! Maybe... tell me if I failed...**

**I don't know why I decided to do Germany for this one. He's not even one of my favorite characters. But what the heck. Russia, however, IS one of my favorite characters, so the next one should make more sense...**

**Well... I hope you enjoyed it! And I have a bunch of free time today, so I may even get another chapter up before the end of the day... my life is sad...**

**Ja, mata! (And not "Ja" is NOT German for yes in this case! :T) (-_-)7**


	2. Chapter 2

The next day, you find out _exactly _what Ludwig's brother is like.

"Hey! Bro, I'm home!" an obnoxious voice calls throughout the house. (brother's name) runs into the foyer, trying to see the mysterious man. You, of course, follow him. "Whoa, West! Who's the kid? He's touching to awesome me without asking! So not awesome!" He attempts in vain to shake of the child now attached to his leg.

"Shut up, Gilbert," Ludwig says, pinching between his eyes. "You've been here five seconds and I already have a headache."

"Why'd he call you West?" you ask. There's complete silence.

Gilbert laughs, breaking the spell. "Bro, you haven't told her? That's so un-awesome!" You notice this guy is quite fond of the word "awesome".

"No, bruder, I haven't. How do you find a way to _explain _something like that?" Ludwig asks.

You're starting to get confused. "Tell me what? What do you need to explain?"

Gilbert cracks up again. "Come on, West, tell her. I wanna see this!"

You tilt your head to the side in confusion as Ludwig sighs. "Okay, _, I wasn't planning on telling you yet, but… I'm actually… Germany," he finishes.

You stare at him blankly, with a look that says clearly: "Waaaaaaa…?"

"I'm the personification of Germany, living in America because he's an idiot, and this is my brother, Prussia." Gilbert sends him a look. "I'm sorry. My brother, the _awesome _Prussia."

You shouldn't believe him. You _don't _believe him. But then you remember something, something your dad showed you a long time ago…

_"See, _?" he said, pointing to the computer screen. "This is Hetalia. The characters are all personifications of countries. If they existed, I think you'd like Germany. He's got a serious personality that would complement yours perfectly."_

_ "Dad, please stop trying to set me up with fictional characters," you mumbled, trying to go back to reading your book._

_ "But sweetie, it's true!" he exclaims. You roll your eyes._

"I believe you," you tell him, blushing lightly as you remember your dad's exact words.

He stares at you in shock. "R-really? That was unexpected. I thought you would be running away the second I told you."

You shake your head. "My dad told me about you all once. I blew it off then, but you know, there's always a chance I guess," you explain.

"Aw!" Gilbert, a.k.a. Prussia, whines, "I was expecting her to scream or something! This was _totally _a waste of my awesome time!"

"You can't own time," you say smoothly, "and if you could I doubt you could make it awesome."

"I could! I'm the awesome Prussia!" he protests.

"Awesomeness isn't contagious," you retort.

"Well anything that belongs to me is awesome!"

"Again, you can't_ own_ time."

"I can! I'm just that awesome."

"'Awesome' is a relative term. Do _other _people think you're awesome?"

"Of course!"

"Really? Who?"

"Antonio, Francis, my friends..."

"Friends are required to say you're awesome."

"No they aren't!"

"Really? So would you be friends with them if they didn't think you were awesome?"

"Everyone thinks I'm awesome."

"I don't. And that didn't answer my question."

"My friends _have_ to think I'm awesome. That's part of being friends."

"Do _you_ think _your friends_ are awesome?"

"Sometimes…"

"Then are you really their friend?"

"… sometimes… But that doesn't mean anything! I'm still awesome!"

"Again, awesomeness is relative. Who are you awesome compared to?"

"Everyone!"

"Really? You're more awesome than the smartest people alive who made the world you live in possible?"

"Yes."

"The people who gave you a life, no matter how sad it is?"

"My life is not sad!"

Where do you live when you aren't here?"

"At school. In a dorm."

"Is that awesome?"

"Yes!"

"Then you're admitting that everyone who lives in a dorm is just as awesome as you?"

"NO! Yes! Maybe…"

"I rest my case."

"Hold on just a second! I'm _way _more awesome than my roommate! He goes back to his mommy every weekend!"

"You go back to your brother every weekend. What's the difference?"

"Um, uh…" You shoot him a look that says "There is no way you can win this argument, so just give up".

He shuts his mouth, and goes to sulk in the living room. You smile smugly, and turn to talk to Ludwig, finding him staring at you slack-jawed. "W-what?" you ask, suddenly nervous. What if that wasn't the right thing to do?

But then he starts to laugh. As in _really _laugh. He almost doubles over, gasping for air, and clapping loudly. "That… was amazing!" he exclaims, regaining some of his composure. "In all his life, no one has _ever _been able to get my bruder to admit to himself he wasn't the best thing to ever hit the Earth… and you just did it in two minutes!"

You blush, and wonder why you're so happy to hear him proud of you. "It was nothing… I used to… I used to banter around like that with my dad… he always beat me at first, but eventually I got really good at it, and…" You try not to cry, remembering how you lost your words when he died, and your heart with your mother. You don't think you'll ever be able to love again after that.

He looks at you, gaze turning serious. "Do you want to talk about it or… something?" he asks, rubbing his arm nervously. You hesitate, then nod. He turns to (brother's name). "Do you want to go watch TV with Gilbert? I'm sure he could use your company right now." He nods, and runs off to go play with his new "friend".

Ludwig leads you over to the bench in the foyer. "I hate myself," you whisper, "I'm not worthy to be called his sister."

"What happened?" he asks, obviously not sure of how to comfort you.

"I-I… I left him. I left my brother when they died," you admit, bursting into tears.

"What?" he asks unbelievingly.

"Not physically, but mentally. I was just… gone. I lost my words, and my will to live. For almost a year, my neighbor had to take care of him while I went through the motions; going to school, coming home, eating, sleeping. That's all I did. He didn't have me when he needed me most. But still, when I managed to pull myself out, he was there, ready to give me a hug and forgive me for everything. I don't deserve him."

"Wait…" he says, "you pulled _yourself _out of depression? How?" Ludwig asks.

"I saw him one day, on my way home from school. To be honest, until then I had forgotten my brother even existed. But the moment I noticed him staring at me through a window, I knew I needed to get better. So I practiced smiling; over and over again until the smiles felt almost real. Then I was ready to see him."

"So you got yourself completely out just like that?"

You shake your head. "Not completely. No matter what happens, I can only feel a kind of passive happiness or nostalgia. Nothing stronger. The only time I really _feel _anything is when I'm in pain or sad for some reason. It's so bad I'm almost sure if I didn't have to set a good example for my brother I'd be cutting by now. I can't seem to pull my heart out of depression, no matter how hard I try."

As you start to sob, shaking with sadness, he immediately pulls you into a hug. You hardly notice, except for that you're much warmer all of a sudden. You don't know how long the two of you stay like that for, but eventually your tears subside and, after cooling down, you join Gilbert and (brother's name) watching some little kid cartoon that Gilbert enjoys more than your brother.

As everyone laughs at his childlike enthusiasm, you actually start to feel at home in the house. Maybe living here could turn out even better than you'd hoped…

The last week of school is finally here, and you're relieved that means not having to do any real work.

Unfortunately, Ludwi- er, Mr. Beilschmidt doesn't seem to have gotten the memo, working the kids harder than other under the pretense that they'll "probably not get out of bed all summer, so they might as well work out now!"

You smile, happy, for once, that your leg is hurt. Now that he knows about your eating problem, he doesn't want to make you run anyway, but this is the perfect excuse.

So, while all the kids who laughed at you before run mile after mile after mile, you sit in the corner, sketchbook out, drawing picture after picture after picture. Once school lets out and there's no one to get suspicious, you plan to draw a portrait of Ludwig, but for now you'll have to satisfy yourself with other things, like birds and flowers.

Things go on like this for the rest of the week, until finally it's graduation day! As you don your cap and gown, you feel tears threatening to spill over. As excited as you are to be able to not have things be so awkward between you and Ludwig, this school was probably the only thing that kept you from death when you had nothing to live for. You're slightly reluctant to leave it.

You notice Gilbert and (brother's name) sitting in the rows of chairs, and wave subtly. Gilbert got off of school yesterday for a few weeks, so he was thankfully able to chaperone your little brother here. The two of you have actually developed a pretty decent relationship after the "awesomeness" conversation, although you get along with Ludwig much better

Finally, the speeches, ceremonies, etc. are finished, and you get to throw your caps in the air. Smiling, you realize that it's officially time to start the next chapter of your life, whatever that means.

As much as it hurts to think about, you know you can't live with Ludwig forever. The two of you are already so close, even after only knowing each other, _really _knowing each other, a week. You can't even imagine life without him anymore.

But now isn't the time to deal with this. You already decided you weren't going to attend the after-party the school had planned, and that Ludwig would pick you up near your old house, like he's been doing each day this week. Every day, you take more and more of your meager possessions over to his place, and tonight, with the help of Gilbert's van, you'll finally be finished.

You wave to him as he turns around the corner. He waves back with a smile. You offer up a grin of your own. It's fake, but at least it's there. You think that'll be what you'll have to settle for the rest of your life.

"Hi," you mumble, climbing into the passenger seat.

"Where's (brother's name)?" he asks.

"He went with Gilbert," you explain.

He frowns. "So you were standing out there alone? It's getting late…"

"I'm fine, right?" you point out.

He nods. "Just try to be careful. I don't want to lose you." He blushes and looks away.

You find yourself blushing, too, although you don't know why.

Germany's POV

I can't believe I said that! Who am I trying to become, Feliciano? But it's still true nonetheless…

It's completely silent in the car. I sneak glances over at _, but her face is almost unreadable. Except… is she a little red? Could she be mad at me for being too protective?

"U-um," I mutter, breaking the silence. She looks over at me, (e/c) eyes widening curiously. "Y-you aren't mad at me, right?" Why am I asking this?

"No!" she immediately assures me. "I'm _definitely _not mad. It's just… well, I don't really know _what _I'm feeling. Surprisingly, though, it doesn't feel bad…"

I raise my eyebrows. "Could you be…"

She cuts me off with a swift shake of her head. "No. It's not strong enough to fix my…problem. But it feels like it has potential, if something could just set it off." I can tell she's struggling to understand the feeling herself, and that she wants to be able to place it badly. She looks so adorable, lips pursed, eyes narrow in deep thought, that I almost want to… no! I need to get a leash on these feelings! Why do I feel this way anyway?

"L-Ludwig?" she asks sheepishly, and I realize I've been scowling. My eyes soften at her worried expression.

"Oh, sorry. I'm just... trying to do the same thing as you, I guess. I don't know what I'm feeling right now, either," I explain.

"Well you know you can always talk to me about it," she says softly, putting a hand on my shoulder.

I stiffen on the contact, and she removes it, looking severely… disappointed? We both say nothing until we reach my house, where she immediately runs up to her room. That's when I remember. The graduation present! I run after her, and catch the door just before it closed. "Hold on just a second! I've got something for you first," I say, pulling to door open.

"W-what…?' she asks, and I notice she looks like she's about to cry.

"Graduation. I got you a present," I repeat.

"You didn't have to-" she protests, but I cut her off with a finger on her mouth. Her eyes cross as she tries to look at it, and it makes her look even cuter.

"I know I didn't have to. I did anyway. Now let me lead you downstairs, or I'm going to have to drag you," I say lightly, grabbing her arm and pulling her downstairs.

When we reach the kitchen, I sit her down at the table, call over our brothers, who were sitting in the living room playing a video game on the fancy new console America sent me. That idiot _knew _I wouldn't use the thing!

Once everyone's seated, I pull out a giant package from behind the fridge, followed by a smaller one for (brother's name). He instantly grabs it and starts pulling off the paper, but she just kind of stares at hers for a minute, before gingerly pulling off the tape and opening it. "This is…" she gasps, staring at the items in front of her.

"Countries get better salaries than teachers," I explain.

She puts her hand over her mouth and tears start to fall. "I'm going to… art school?"

"Only during the day. I'll watch (brother's name) while you're gone, since America _finally_ had me quit that stupid teacher's job I took when I lost a bet."

"You had to become a teacher because of a bet?" she asks, "That must have sucked."

I nod. "It wasn't fun. But anyway, the school is actually in downtown (town name), which is only a few miles from here. You can still live at my house while you attend."

She nods, then does something really unexpected: jumps out of her seat and gives me a big hug. "W-w-w-what are you doing?" I ask, sounding just like Kiku. My face is even red.

"Thank you. Thank you so much," she mumbles, before letting go. She stares at the application form, sitting on top of a pile of new art supplies from the supply list, and smiles. It's a small smile, but I can tell right away it's real.

Your POV

When Ludwig stiffened up at your touch, you thought he didn't want your help. For some reason, the very thought made you so sad you could hardly bear it. But when he pulled you back downstairs and gave you all that amazing stuff… you was happy. Actually happy, for once in your life.

After present-opening, you ate cake, and (brother's name) went to go play with the new toy cars Ludwig got him. The kid's being spoiled now, not that you can't say he deserves it.

Gilbert went with him, leaving Ludwig and you alone at the table. "Thank you so much," you repeat, wiping away the stray tears. "I-I never thought I'd get to… I'd actually completely forgotten about my dream, what with having to take care of (brother's name) so much… but… thank you."

"It's really no problem," he insists, leaning over and wiping away a tear you missed. "It's just nice to… see you… happy." He blushes and looks away.

"Why do you care so much about my happiness?" you find yourself saying, "We only met a week ago."

"I-I…" he seems to be struggling with how to respond. Finally, he decides on something you don't understand. "Ich liebe dich, _. That's why." You don't know what he means, but then you realize you distinctly remember your grandmother, who was German, saying something like that to you as a child…

_"Grandma!" you yell, sprinting into the house, which smells of freshly baked cookies and perfume._

_ "Hello, my little _! How nice to see you!" she exclaims joyfully, pulling you into a hug._

_ "I love you grandma," you say, happy to see her again._

_ "Ich liebe dich auch," she responds softly, planting a kiss on your head. You smile innocently up at her, never realizing that one day her, and your smiles would one day disappear._

Your eyes widen as you realize what Ludwig just told you. "R-really?" you ask.

He seems surprised you understood, but looks down. "Yes…"

In that instant, you suddenly feel something, rising from the center of your being. It threatens to overflow. You realize this is all the happiness you'd lost when they died, come back twice as strong. "I-ich liebe dich auch," you whisper, using your grandmother's words. He lifts his head back up, even more surprised that you responded the way you did, and smiles larger than you've ever seen him smile before.

Germany's POV

I could hardly believe my ears. Seconds after realizing my true feelings toward _, I found out she felt the same! And what's more, the moment I turned to face her, she looked at me with a giant smile gracing her features, causing me to immediately mimic her expression.

We begin inching towards each other, drawn by some invisible force, but just before our lips touch, a large howl from the living room sends us flying apart, blushing crimson. "S-sounds like Gilbert just got beat by a four-year-old," she laughs.

Epilogue

You play with the white material your dress is made of while you wait for her to arrive. Finally, the door opens and in walks Elizaveta. "Hi!" she exclaims, and gives you a hug.

"Hey!" you respond happily. You two were introduced a few months after you went to live at Ludwig's place, and immediately hit it off. Now here she is, participating in the biggest event of your life.

The summer breeze rustles your loose, (h/c) hair, making it flow out ever so slightly. Your (e/c) eyes sparkle in the sunlight, while the beautiful flower petals, white with little lines of pink, float lazily in the breeze. In place of your father, (brother's name), now six, is walking you down the aisle to be "given away".

That's right, today, in the summer break between you sophomore and junior years of art school, you're finally getting married to Ludwig. He proposed to you on your birthday, which was only a few months ago, and you immediately said yes.

Many of the countries you've met are in attendance, and you notice them briefly as you walk out onto the aisle, but the moment your eyes lock with his, you lose track of everyone else. It takes all your strength to resist just running down and giving him a giant kiss, but you manage to resist.

You hardly hear the preacher, or your own voice repeating those glorious words. The only words you hear are his: "I do."

* * *

**So... this was my first attempt. If you don't understand anything, please don't hesitate to ask! Thank you, Love-Peace-Anime, but your story ****_is _****better! (Anybody else who's reading this, go check out "Just Visiting Hetalia". One of the BESTEST "country x reader" stories I've seen!**

**Okay, well, this story (specifically the epilogue, brings a certain phrase to mind: IT'S SO FLUFFY!**

**And with this, I complete my two-shot. Goodbye! *salutes and jumps over edge of cliff- but LIVES!***


End file.
